Two Different Things

[Dave Fritz]

Recent threads have reinforced the notion that just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you'll be a good business person marketing your stuff. Being good in one doesn't translate to being successful in another. Actually works both ways, some average turners are great at marketing and promotion. Case in point, young man I know paints homes and does restoration of older homes, he works alone and doesn't work well with others. He is in high demand and does quite well. His boss wants to sell him the business (only two painters) and will stay with him as long as needed. The young fella said no, "I'm not a business person." At least he knows himself. I was an average drummer but had constant work largely because I "sold the sizzle, not the steak". People would say, "You'd do this even if you didn't get paid wouldn't you." No!

Sorry for the ramble, but I hope I made my point. You're thoughts?

[Richard Coers]

75% or more of every business is marketing. With custom woodworking, you need a deposit check to buy materials and start a job. If you don't sell yourself well, you aren't trusted with a deposit. Hence the effectiveness of word of mouth advertising and the need to keep satisfied customers.

[Edward Weber]

Recent threads have reinforced the notion that just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you'll be a good business person marketing your stuff. Being good in one doesn't translate to being successful in another. Actually works both ways, some average turners are great at marketing and promotion. Case in point, young man I know paints homes and does restoration of older homes, he works alone and doesn't work well with others. He is in high demand and does quite well. His boss wants to sell him the business (only two painters) and will stay with him as long as needed. The young fella said no, "I'm not a business person." At least he knows himself. I was an average drummer but had constant work largely because I "sold the sizzle, not the steak". People would say, "You'd do this even if you didn't get paid wouldn't you." No!

Sorry for the ramble, but I hope I made my point. You're thoughts?

You're exactly right.
This is also the main area that gets those who aren't good at marketing all worked up.
They see those with a lower skill level than themselves, selling something inferior for a high price and get upset.
Look at half the "bleep" on etsy. Some of that looks like stuff I would throw in the burn pile but a good marketer can "spin it" as something else.
Less skill/work and more profit doesn't sit well with many folks.
Sorry for straying slightly off topic

You need to know yourself as you said, know your own skill level and learn to market towards your expertise.
If you sell something or provide a service, you need to know or learn how to market yourself.

[Earl McLain]

Recent threads have reinforced the notion that just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you'll be a good business person marketing your stuff. Being good in one doesn't translate to being successful in another. Actually works both ways, some average turners are great at marketing and promotion. Case in point, young man I know paints homes and does restoration of older homes, he works alone and doesn't work well with others. He is in high demand and does quite well. His boss wants to sell him the business (only two painters) and will stay with him as long as needed. The young fella said no, "I'm not a business person." At least he knows himself. I was an average drummer but had constant work largely because I "sold the sizzle, not the steak". People would say, "You'd do this even if you didn't get paid wouldn't you." No!

Sorry for the ramble, but I hope I made my point. You're thoughts?

Maybe even truer in music than woodturning. Between church bands, pickers in coffee shop song circles, and barn parties--i've run into many dozens of musicians and singers that had "the chops" but either didn't have the desire or didn't have the taste for the marketing. My wife toured and wrote for a few years before deciding she loved to sing too much to make it a job. Then spent 17 years or so with a local band (mostly medical pros) who donated time/talent for charity gigs. Through that time and for about 10 years after, she sang lead at a handful of churches--the last one had a tight enough band that they could have done very well gigging.

The result--tons of great live music available around the country for free or really cheap. Also, awesome wood turnings are pretty easy to come almost everywhere. I'm awed by the skill level found in my local turning club--and grateful they let me keep coming!!

[Neil Strong]

My passion is for woodturning, not selling things.

I have only ever marketed my woodturning twice. Both times to prospective galleries. I took examples of my work and a more extensive photo portfolio for them to look at. From then on they did any marketing that was required by displaying my work and in later years offering it online. They take just under half of the selling price and they earn every penny of that, IMO.

Some turners like to interact with those who admire and buy their work, but I've never felt a need for a relationship with my end customers other than the bank deposit from the gallery at the end of each month. That then allows me to continue to make whatever interest me and, fortunately for me, my end customers seem to like what I make because they keep buying it... month after month, year after year, decade after decade.

An honest realtor once told me that property sells property. Perhaps my woodturning also sells itself...